By Rebecca Goldfine,Staff Writer

WATERFORD – Townspeople will decide Saturday at town meeting whether to create a minimum lot size of one acre and adopt other standards for new development.

The annual meeting begins at 9 a.m. Saturday in the municipal building. Elections for selectmen take place from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, also in the municipal building.

Selectman William Wheeler said the intention of the proposed land-use ordinances is to control growth and not crowd buildings.

Along with the minimum lot size, the other ordinances to be voted on are: minimum road frontage, a 25-foot minimum setback from the road, minimum side and rear setbacks, maximum paved surface, driveway setbacks and a maximum structure height of 35 feet.

“I suspect people are going to say, you can’t tell me what to do,” Wheeler predicted.

The proposed municipal budget is $995,000, up $14,000 from last year, Wheeler said.

Selectman Charles Fillebrown, too, is stepping down after serving on the board for about a dozen years, he said. Norman Rust and Stuart Davis are running for his position.

The town is also asking that people dumping demolition and construction material at the transfer station pay fees. Wheeler said the town is paying $39,000 to haul this away.

Also new is the proposal to invest about $445,000 from surplus into town infrastructure such as roads.

Voters will also be asked to ban smoking at recreational fields.

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